The present invention relates in general to quilting machines and more particularly relates to a new and improved quilting apparatus and methods which enable vertical movement of the quilting material during the sewing operation as opposed to horizontal sewing method and apparatus which had previously been utilized.
While other automatic quilting machines and devices are known in the art as for example shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,095 as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,354,850 and 3,559,600 no prior art device is known which provides the advantageous features of devices within the scope of the present invention.
The teaching in U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,095 relates to the use of a quilting frame which is moved universally, that is in for example in X and Y axis for engagement with fixed sewing machines so that the material is sequentially advanced, sewn, and then a new segment of material is again sequentially advanced to be sewn.
No prior art arrangement is known where the material is moved vertically during the sewing operation and fed from a feed device, for example reels of fabric material, in the sewing operation.
In this regard it has been unexpectedly found that several advantages occur in the method and apparatus of the present invention. For example one significant advantage is that in sewing material in a horizontal position where the sewing needle is located above the material the lubricating oil from the needle assembly many times flows onto the material during the sewing operation and during periods where no sewing is occurring and spoil sections of the material.
Additionally, the prior art arrangements which utilize a universally removable frame assembly are unnecessarily complicated in view of the discoveries in accordance with the present invention and greatly add both to the labor, the cost of the equipment as well as maintenance labor required for servicing the equipment because of the complexity of the motion of the device as well as the complexity of the driving mechanism utilized.
In summary, no prior art arrangement is known which provides the features, advantages or the configurations provided by devices within the scope of the present invention.